Method of making gas-mantles.



F. C. FLINT. METHOD 0F MAKING GAS MANTLES APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10|1914.

Patented MayZ, 1916.

WI TN SSES:

ATTORNEY.

FRANK C. FLINT, OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING GAS-MANTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application led December 10, 1914. Serial No. 876,489.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK C. FLINT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and residing in Chicopee Falls, in the county of I-Iampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Making Gras'- Mantles, of which the followingis a specifcation.

This invention relates to the manufacture of gas mantles.

More speciically, it is concerned with a method for forming an endclosure for the knitted tube of fabric from which the mantle is made,and the resulting mantle as an article of manufacture. I am aware thatthere are, at present, many elaborate methods of forming this endclosure. However, most of these methods are expensive and require theemployment of skilled operatives in their use. I particularly seek toavoid these methods and to devise a satisfactory means for closing theend of a gas mantle which will be simple and inexpensive and which willnot necessarily require skilled labor.

I-Ieretofore, as far as I am aware, the common method for closing theend of the knitted fabric tube has been to employ a draw or puckeringstring. This string is woven in and out through the fabric near one endof the tube and the ends of the string are then drawn together and tied.This method leaves a bunch or wad of fabric at the end of the cylinderwhich is ironedv and flattened down. Aside from the appearance of thefinished product, this wad is objectionable since it interferes with theemission of light at this point. The strength of the end closureis,however, suficiently strong and the method is not eX- pensive.

My invention has for its object a method of forming an end closure for aknitted fabric tube which is simple and inexpensive.

Another object is to provide an end closure which has the requisitestrength and which is so formed as not to interfere with the emission oflight at the point of closure.

In general, I employ the usual puckering string, but I apply the same tothe tube at a point very near the end thereof. Thus, the end of the tubemay be constricted without forming the undesirable wad of fabricheretofore mentioned. Such a closure is weak and needs be reinforced.Therefore,

I provide the necessary strength to the end by stitching the fabric,adjacent the puckering string, in a direction transverse to the latteror by so-called over-casting. This stitching provides the necessarystrength by binding the end threads of the fabric tube tothe puckeringstring without forming an objectionable bunch of material which willinterfere with the light distribution.

The preferred manner of carrying out my invention is shown by way ofillustration in the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the knitted fabric tube. Fig. 2 is asimilar View showing one end of the tube constricted by the puckeringstring. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mantle after the reinforcingstitches have been applied to the constricted end of the tube. Fig. Llisa partial plan view on an enlarged scale showing clearly the manner inwhich the reinforcing stitches are applied to bind the puckering stringand the end threads of the fabric tube together.

In the drawings a represents a length of knitted fabric tube, one end ofwhich is to be closed to form a mantle. A thread, of suitable material,is woven in and out through the fabricas shown at b in Fig. 1. rlhe endsof this string are then drawn together and tied. It is to be notedparticularly that the thread b is applied to the tube very close to theend thereof in contrast to the former method where it is appli d at aconsiderable distance from the en In practice, the thread b is placedonly a few threads below the end and only far enough therefrom toprevent the unraveling of the end of the tube when the ends of thestring b are drawn together.

After the ends of the string have been drawn together and tied, themantle has the general appearance shown in Fig. 2. The end of the tube ahas been contracted to a small aperture 0. The closure for the tube thusformed is satisfactory in every way except for mechnical strength. Tosecure this necessary strength, the fibers of the tube a, adjacent theaperture 0 and the string are over-cast with threads d. Fig. 3 shows thegeneral appearance of the mantle after the stitches CZ have been appliedthereto. Fig. 4C shows more clearly and in detail the arrangement of thestitches l from which it will be seen that they are located transverselywith respect to the draw-string b. Thus, the edgg of the small aperturec is protected by these stitches al in much the same manner that theedges of a buttonhole are protected. The addition of this protectivemeans renders the structure suliciently strong yet does not form a Wadof material at the point of closure to interfere with the emission oflight.

The simplicity of my method is obvious. Trained operatives are notnecessary in the manufacture of the mantle, and the structure is thusinexpensive. Moreover, the appearance of the end closure of the mantleis neat, attractive, and finished. Furthermore, I have provided an endclosure for a mantle With the requisite mechanical strength Withoutsacrifice of uniform light distribution.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe The method of forming an end closure 2 fora tube of knitted fabric,consisting in contracting one end thereof by a string so as to leave arelatively small opening in the end of the tube, said string being Woventhrough the fabric closely adjacent one end 2 thereof, in tying saidstring to render the closure permanent, and in thereafter strengtheningsaid closure by overcast stitches each arranged to surround said stringand to include the fabric adjacent 3 the small opening.

FRANK o. FLINT.

lVitnesses F. G. NEAL, H. E. HARTWELL.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

